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SCRD not going ahead with gas tax ‘at this time’

Transit

Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors have been getting a lot of flak in the community for looking at a possible fuel tax to subsidize transit plans, so they passed a motion to put the community’s mind at ease during their Jan. 28 regular board meeting.

Directors were set to adopt their previous motion to seek more information on how a transit fuel tax would impact the current transit funding model, but Gibsons director Silas White moved an addition to it: that the board also “clarify that it is not considering implementing a local fuel tax at this time,” in an effort to calm fears in the community.

“There is a lot of community concern that the SCRD is pursuing a fuel tax,” he said. “I think from the reports that we’ve asked for and received and from the discussion that I’ve heard around this table, we’ve recognized it as an issue worth continuing to discuss with the province, but it’s really not viable to pursue a fuel tax.”

Sechelt director Alice Lutes agreed, saying the board had to “put the community’s concerns to rest” on the issue.

“For me a transit tax would impact the community negatively through costs on services and goods and I would not be in favour of a fuel tax, so therefore I support this amendment,” Lutes said.

Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell spoke against White’s amendment, saying whether the board goes ahead with a fuel tax would be “reliant to a degree” on the information that comes back to the board from the province about possible impacts to the current transit funding model.

“I think what we’re doing is trying to research the viability of a fuel tax and without the implications it is difficult to know whether it’s worthy of consideration or not,” Lebbell said.

West Howe Sound director Ian Winn noted that the end of White’s amendment, which states “at this time,” leaves it open for the board to consider a fuel tax in the future if new information comes to light that makes it seem viable.

When the question was called on White’s amendment, all but Lebbell were in favour and it passed.

The SCRD will now wait to hear back from Kevin Volk, executive director of transit and crown agency programs with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, regarding how the current transit funding model would be impacted by a transit fuel tax.